


Lovebirds

by enjoyseries



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Limlendez, Romance, prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-01-26 06:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21369412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enjoyseries/pseuds/enjoyseries
Summary: A collection of one-sentence ficlets, based on unrelated prompts. This is a journey through Neil and Audrey's relationship.
Relationships: Audrey Lim/Neil Melendez
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**"You didn't need to do all of this."**

When Neil arrived at the hospital this morning, he expected to find Audrey in her office. Their relationship was still very new and they were still keeping it on low radar. They couldn't arrive and leave together, nor could they be too demonstrative towards each other in public and this was driving Neil completely nuts. They had chosen to keep their relationship secret by mutual agreement, but not being able to show the world how much he loved her was getting more and more frustrating. He made it a habit to arrive a little earlier in the morning when they were sharing their shift and bring her favorite hot hazelnut latte macchiato. She would have offered him her best smile, the one she was keeping just for him and they would have shared knowing glances, full of love. He was looking forward to these little moments, especially when they hadn't had the opportunity to see each other outside of work for a few days. So he was disappointed to find her office empty, and even more surprised to hear she had called in sick for the day. Audrey Lim was never sick. But after the events of the quarantine, her immune system had weakened making her even more vulnerable.

He had started his shift as usual, trying to not seem too worried about Dr. Lim's absence. He had texted her to know if she was okay, but hadn't got any answers since then. As the hours went by, the more worry he got and he was starting pacing up and down like a caged lion. He had managed to hide it from his team the rest of the morning, and he was sure no one had any doubts – despite Murphy, maybe. But as long as the boy genius wasn't letting hints get away, Neil would keep playing it cool.

When the lunch break finally arrived, it sounded like deliverance to him. He was on call for the rest of the day, and had briefed his residents on the tasks left to do and the patients that needed to be monitored for the afternoon. They only had a few hours left and he was sure everything would be fine for them. He had – of course – told them he was still reachable by phone even if he had hoped they wouldn't do so.

An hour later, he parked in the driveway of Audrey's house, next to her Ducati. She absolutely had no idea he was coming and he was hoping she wouldn't be mad at him for showing up unannounced. He came out of his Tesla, a small bag in his hand and climbed the few steps before reaching the front door. He rang and waited a few minutes before Audrey came at the door. She froze when she came face to face with Neil. It took her a few seconds to realize he was really standing at her threshold, probably because of the lack of sleep and her clouded mind.

"Hey, you." Neil broke a smile.

"Neil! What are you doing here?" She finally said. Her words didn't sound like a reproach, but more like a pleasant surprise.

"I heard you called in sick this morning. I wanted to check on you and see how you were doing."

"Well, as you can tell, I'm in great shape." She rolled her eyes. She was looking pale, with bags under her eyes, her hair tied up in a messy bun and was wrapped up in a blanket. She looked miserable, and he felt bad for her.

"I brought chicken soup," he brandished the bag in his hand and leaned forward, before whispering "and macaroons."

She tilted her head with a cute pout, and softly smiled at him. "Thank you." She stepped aside to let him in. As he walked past her, she resisted the urge to grab him right there and snuggle in his arms. She had never been the kind of woman to appreciate signs of affection, nor to be the most tactile in a relationship but with Neil, everything was different. She had never felt this way before, and as time was getting by, she was feeling the need to touch him, kiss him, to feel his presence even more. But she wasn't used to this entire emotional outburst towards a man and she often slowed down her own enthusiasm. She was still learning how to let go with him. She followed him in the living room as he stopped his track to turn towards her.

"I hope you don't mind that I came by. I tried to text you, but you didn't answer so-"

"No, it's fine." She cut him off. "I forgot my phone upstairs and didn't have the strength to go get it." She flopped down on the couch, with a heavy sigh. Neil was following her close behind, and he put his hand against her forehead. Her skin was burning and from the look on her face, he was pretty sure she had a fever.

"Have you seen a doctor?" She glared up at him.

"Neil, _I am_ a doctor." He snorted at her remark.

"Well, it doesn't hurt anyone to see a doctor. Not even for us."

She didn't answer and lied down against the cushion. Neil grabbed the blanket at the edge of the couch and laid it on her.

"I hate this time of the year." She mumbled as a shiver went through her spine. "Everyone rushes to the E.R. for the stupid flu and now I'm infected by their stupid microbes!"

"Well, you know what they say: the risks of the job." He joked and cracked a smile. "Stay right here, I'll warm up your soup."

"I'm not going anywhere." She mumbled again, with her eyes closed as she snuggled up in the blankets.

Neil would have never admitted it out loud – for the sake of his own life – but he found Audrey particularly adorable when she was sick. Of course, he didn't like to see her suffering, but she was cute being the grumpy one. He had taken his time to clear his things and get comfortable while the soup was warming up in the microwave. A few moments later, he came back to the living room with a bowl of soup and a glass of water. Audrey had fallen asleep on the couch, and he couldn't help but smile. He put the soup and the glass down on the coffee table and squatted down at her height. He watched her sleep peacefully for a moment. She was so beautiful, even with the flu, she was still irresistible. Every time he was thinking about her, or looking at her, his heart was swelling with love. He felt like a teenager again with the butterflies spinning in his belly. She was making him feel things he had stopped believing in a long time ago. When Jessica broke up with him, he saw his world collapse. He had seen his future darken and his dreams of starting a family shatter. It was still too early to think about that at the stage of their relationship, but deep down, when he was looking deep into her eyes, he knew that life would still hold many beautiful things for them. He couldn't picture his life without her anymore, and sometimes this intense love even frightened him. Was it possible to love someone so much without coming out unscathed?

He sighed, and tried to ignore his thoughts as he tenderly brushed some hair out of her face. He leaned down and dropped a kiss on her forehead, still stroking the top of her head.

"Audrey." He whispered. He didn't want to wake her, but he knew she had to eat something before she could take any pills. He waited a few seconds, but she didn't move an inch.

"Baby..." He whispered again, trying to take her out of her sleep. "Your soup's gonna get cold." She frowned slightly and groaned. She blindly raised her hand to his face and grope around to find his mouth. She put a finger on his lips to shush him, and it made him chuckle as he tried to hold back a laugh.

The next second, her hand fell heavily as she was completely exhausted and Neil quickly gave in to the idea of trying to make her swallow anything. There was no way he was taking her out of her sleep and he knew she would be too stubborn to take medication right now anyway. He was about to stand up and let her sleep when he saw her shivering again despite the two thin blankets. Without thinking twice, he straightened up and put one arm under her and the other under her legs. He easily lifted her and huddled her in the palm of his arms. As he walked with her towards the stairs, he felt her snuggle even more against him. She wrapped her arm around his neck instinctively and he could feel her breath against his skin.

"Did you really call me _'baby'_?" She mumbled.

"Nah, 'must have been a dream." He teased her, not even hiding his smirk. Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew she was smiling too in the crook of his neck. She was no longer really sleeping, but didn't have the strength to move or even open her eyes. She simply let herself be carried by Neil, and savored the feeling of being in his arms.

Slowly, he reached the bedroom and gently laid her down on the mattress. She felt another shiver through her spine as her head hit the coldness of the pillow. He covered her with the bed sheets and tucked her in like a child. She frowned and carelessly hid the top of her face with her left hand. She had been suffering from a terrible headache since this morning and no medication had worked ever since. Neil guessed that daylight wasn't helping her soothe the pain and he rushed to the window to pull the curtains, plunging the room into darkness. He didn't care if they were in the middle of the afternoon, he walked around the bed and took off his shoes. He slipped under the sheets and came snuggling against her body. Audrey felt his arm wrapping her from behind, as he pulled her back against his tone chest. His warmth helped her soothe her shivers and it felt good.

"**_You didn't need to do all of this._**" She softly said, thanking him in her own way.

"I know." Neil stroked the back of her neck with the tip of his nose, and dropped a chaste kiss against her skin. "I'm just taking care of you because that's what a good boyfriend does. And I'm a _really_ good boyfriend." He teased her, and he felt her softly laugh in his arms.

"Smartass…" She smirked, intertwining her fingers with his own and nestled even closer in his embrace.


	2. Could you help me find my shirt?

**"Could you help me find my shirt?" – "You know, as much as I want to… I don't want to."**

That morning, Audrey had been painfully dragged out of her sleep by the awful buzzing of the alarm. She moaned instantly in disapproval, and started fumbling on the nightstand for her phone. Once the alarm had been switched off, she turned around in the bed and nestled her face even deeper in the pillow. She'd never really been a morning person, let alone when the night had been particularly short and hectic. A few seconds later, she grudgingly surfaced and stretched out like a cat. Her forearm hit an unpredicted obstacle and she slightly frowned. She was shortly confused as she quickly remembered the events of last night when she opened her eyes to find a sleepy and handsome man lying back to her. She smiled immediately, and stroked the back of his skull with her fingertips, before stepping out of the bed. She had to force herself not to sneak her arms around his torso and snuggle up against his warm body. Even though she wanted to make their night last longer, she knew her work obligations were even more priority.

It'd been forever since Audrey and Neil had spent an evening together. Their schedules were overloaded with all the work due to her new position as chief of surgery and his crazy amount of patients. Audrey had been quite tense lately as she was struggling dealing with the stress of her promotion and the direct consequences her relationship with Neil could have on her work. It'd been a lot of changes in a short period of time and sometimes it was getting a bit too overwhelming for her. That's why she'd been looking forward to that free-work evening. Being with Neil at the hospital, and at a more intimate place were two completely different things. She had missed being alone with him.

They didn't want anything too fancy, so Audrey had grabbed some Chinese food on the way home to Neil's. They had spent the evening eating around the coffee table, chatting over nothing and everything while randomly picking at the food in the boxes. Once everything was cleaned up, they settled comfortably on the couch, in each other's arms and switched the TV on. Neil channel-hopped for a long time before finding a program they both wanted to watch. They watched it for a few moments before they easily lost interest in the show as neither he nor she could keep their hands to themselves. Things quickly heated up and they found themselves kissing and humping like teenagers on the couch. Not that it'd been that long since the last time, but whenever they were in the same room it was like they were two magnets attracting to one another. The rest of the night had been just as hectic and had ended upstairs under the sheets, as they explored each other bodies until the early morning.

After showering, Audrey had wandered downstairs in search of her clothes that had been scattered all around the house during their lovemaking session last night. After what seemed like an eternity of turning the whole house upside down, she managed to find most of her outfit but there was still one thing she couldn't put her finger on and she was starting to lose her nerves. As she went back upstairs, she couldn't help but grumbling over the fact that mornings would be a lot easier if she had spare clothes at his house. She had been spending most of her time here since it was easier for everyone. They had never really discussed it, things had been done naturally and they seemed both okay with this. Though they probably would need to have a talk soon about whether they were ready for bringing some personal stuff in each other's house.

When she entered the bedroom again, Neil had just woken up and was lying against the headboard.

"Morning." He smiled at her, still emerging.

"Have you seen my shirt?" She replied without really paying attention to him. Neil frowned half-amused and tilted his head.

"Good morning to you, too." He joked, "No, I haven't." He grinned as he was observing her rummaging through the room. He couldn't get why she seemed so in a rush as her shift was starting in only two hours. He heard her curse under her breath as she knelt to look under the bed – even though she highly doubted she would find anything there.

Neil had woken up in a teasing mood and he was amused to see her sulking about something so futile. The situation was even funnier as she didn't seem to be aware she'd been wandering around the house in her underwear ever since. As she straightened up, he propped on his elbows to have a better look. She immediately felt his insistent gaze and she turned around to catch him checking her. When he crossed her eyes, he grinned like a fool and she glared at him.

"**_Could you help me find my shirt?_**"

"**_You know, as much as I want to…_**" He exaggeratedly let his eyes wander again along her sexy curves, before looking up straight into her eyes. **"_I don't want to_."**

She grabbed the first thing that came to her hand, which was his t-shirt carelessly lying on the edge of the bed and threw it in his face.

"Asshat." She hissed, with a half-amused smile. Neil laughed out loud as he ducked out just in time and caught the t-shirt before it hit its target.

"Seriously, Neil. I need my shirt so I can get home and grab some spare clothes before my shift starts…" She looked over her watch. "Which lets me abou-" She suddenly yelped as she felt two strong arms encircling her waist from behind. She had been so focused at rambling about her missing shirt that she didn't even see him leaning forward and crawling like a predator to the edge of the bed. In a quick and bold move, he had grabbed her and lifted her before gently smashing her down on the mattress. This time, she hadn't been able to contain her laugh and it sounded like a melody to his ears. Neil straddled her and grabbed her wrists in his hands to pin them down on the bed above her head. Her hair messily spread out on the mattress, she was breathing heavily – still trying to catch her breath – and her chest rose up with each inspiration, making her even more attractive. She licked her lower lip unconsciously due to her growing desire as her eyes were locked in his. He was staring so deeply she felt a shiver running through her spine. She could see his pupils dilated as he leaned down slowly to her face with a smirk. He stopped at a few inches from her lips. He was so close she could feel his hot breath on her skin. He teased her until the very last moment and waited a few more seconds before he finally kissed her soundly. She had never been used to be the passive one in any of her previous relationships. Neil had taught her to let go and let herself be guided in bed, which she surprisingly found it rather exciting.

"I have to go home." She managed to say between kisses.

"You're the chief, you can go to work later." He lowered his head to nestle his face in the crook of her neck and kissed the spot below her ear. She chuckled at his words while he started nibbling along her jawline, dropping some light kisses here and there.

"But not in my underwear."

"I wouldn't complain." He pulled his head back and looked up. He grinned at her, and offered her his own special smile. She rolled her eyes at him, fainting to be annoyed but her growing grin betrayed her.

He let go of his grip as his hands slipped along her arms, stroking her smooth skin. He was moving backwards as his hands were lowering on her sides. Once they landed on her hips, he bent down and started dropping light kisses on her tone stomach, tracing an invisible line to her lower abdomen. He was taking his time, because he knew how much it could drive her completely crazy sometimes. She had gripped the sheets in her firsts in anticipation as he was getting lower and lower, and seeing her muscles abdomen contracting with desire, Neil could proudly tell it was working.

"Neil," She breathed out his name, eyes closed. "I really need to find my shirt." This didn't even sound convincing anymore.

"Forget about the shirt." He smirked at her, even though she couldn't see him. "I have other plans." And out of a sudden, he ripped her panties off.

"Neil!"


	3. I can't do this anymore

_What a real pleasure it is to read all your kind words! You all give me the will to write and post regularly knowing some kind people are waiting for it. Thank you so much! _ _I've been inspired by the last episode to write this prompt. I hope you'll like it!_

_Someone asked in the comment if I was accepting prompts from readers. Of course, I would gladly take prompts from all of you! So don't hesitate to send them in the comments. O_ _ne last thing… I'm sure you've probably already noticed some mistakes here and there. English isn't my mother tongue so I apologize in advance! I'm doing my best to improve my skills. _

_Now, less talking and more reading! Enjoy :)_

* * *

**"I can't do this anymore."**

When Neil put the key into the lock and opened the door, night had fallen a long time ago and had given way to complete darkness in the streets. It'd been a quite difficult and tiring day, both physically and mentally. He'd spent the day trying to forget the last twenty-four hours. But no matter where he was, or what he was doing, everything reminded him of his last patient. He lied to everyone, pretending he was fine. He had almost convinced himself. He had lost his arrogance and self-confidence, and had let fear and doubt taking over his mind instead. He had been pondering and torturing himself with a whole bunch of "what ifs" and he had finally lost it. Not only was he carrying the heavy guilt of his patient's death, but also the guilt of the words he said to Audrey.

He had blamed himself the very second he said those words, but it was already too late. It was the sadness and bitterness that had spoken and when he saw all the pain in Audrey's eyes, he knew he had messed up and it broke his heart into a thousand pieces. He was caught in a deep spiral of feelings and it had prevented him from thinking and acting properly. He was in pain, so he had to find someone to blame. He couldn't carry the guilt on his shoulders alone, it was too hard.

When he entered the house, everything was plunged in the dark except the few spotlights in the kitchen. He knew Audrey was there because her car was parked out front. It was quite unusual for her to do so, as she almost always rode her Ducati around but he didn't really raise the detail which seemed so insignificant in that moment. As everything suggested there was no one on the main floor, Neil decided to go upstairs. Maybe she was relaxing in a bathtub, or already in bed. In any case, he had no idea he was going to find her in the bedroom, standing in front of the opened walk-in closet.

"What are you doing?" He stepped in, as she was putting the few things she had brought at his house in a bag. Audrey froze for a second, and closed her eyes at the sound of his voice. She hadn't planned anything and hadn't thought about what to say. She hadn't wanted to do it behind his back, even though deep down she had wished she would have already been gone before he had come home. This complicated everything even more. She sighed and turned to face him.

Neil looked completely lost, and her heart shrank at the thought of what she was about to do. Her throat tightened and her heart rate quickened.

"**_I can't do this anymore._**" Her voice cracked.

"What are you talking about?" Neil frowned.

"I-I thought we would be okay. But, this isn't working, Neil." She shook her head. "We can't keep doing this if you doubt every decision I make about you and your patients."

Here they were.

"Audrey…" He sighed. She didn't listen to him and kept talking.

"I can't keep doing this with you not believing I'm capable of separating my relationship from my job. How can we work this out if you don't trust me?!"

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't mean that, I'm sorry."

She shook her head, and turned her back to keep packing her stuff. She could feel the anger rising and she only wanted to leave this place before she might say things she didn't mean.

"Please, let's talk about it." Neil said softly, as he stepped closer to her.

"We've already talked, Neil!" She abruptly turned towards him, almost yelling. "This doesn't change anything." She paused, and lowered her head. "You can't take your words back."

He heard the bitterness in the sound of her voice as she said those last words. Deep down, she could hardly believe he had meant every word he said. But despite all the best world's efforts, he had hurt her deeply and this argument had been the straw that broke the camel's back.

"I know, and I'm sorry. This wasn't fair. I acted like a jerk." He didn't know what else to say. He would have liked to take her in his arms, tell her how sorry he was, kiss her and tell her how much he loved her. But the pain, the grief, the bitterness and the anger, it all kept it him from doing so. He thought he would have lost it as she closed the zipper of the bag. He needed her, she couldn't leave. Not now.

As she turned around with the bag in hand and made her way out, he took a step forward to stop her.

"Audrey, please don't do this." He begged her not to go. They were both miserable, looking in each other's tearing eyes. "I love you." He let out a shaky breath. Audrey closed her eyes, trying not to break in front of him. She swallowed the knot that had formed in her throat and held her head up before looking him straight in the eyes again. She was about to do the only thing she was good at in these moments: shut herself down and pushing everyone away. Her protective instinct had regained the upper hand, and she needed to take some distance to preserve herself.

"I'm sorry." She breathed out, before walking past him. Neither he nor she looked back. Neil didn't move at all and stood in the middle of the room, letting her go without a word. He was clenching his jaw, trying to hold back his sobs. God, it hurt so much. Audrey walked downstairs with a heavy heart, and the more she was getting closer to the door, the more she felt at the edge of breaking down. She put her hand on the handle, and stopped for a moment. Was she really making the right thing?

With one last glance at the stairs, she opened the door and walked away, tears finally running down her face.


	4. I think I just saw her at the cafeteria

**"I think I just saw her at the cafeteria."**

Audrey was already sitting at a table in the cafeteria of St. Bonaventure hospital, a coffee in hand. She was scrolling randomly through her phone, waiting for Neil to arrive with his order. At this time of the afternoon, there was almost no one wandering around. This was what could be called an off-peak hour, when peace was reigning more or less in the hospital. After spending a large part of their shift working together on a quite difficult case, they had decided to stop at the cafeteria for a well-deserved break. They still had 7 hours to go, and the lack of caffeine was getting more and more acute.

After a few minutes, she spotted Neil in her field of vision. When she noticed the strange look on his face, she frowned slightly and put down her phone.

"Are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost." She slightly teased him, as he sat down in front of her. It took him a few seconds to answer, as he seemed a bit confused.

"**_I think I just saw her at the cafeteria._**" He said, a bit shaken.

"**_Who?_**" She asked, before taking a sip of her cup.

"**_Jessica._**"

Audrey was caught off guard as the coffee almost went down the wrong way. She hadn't expected this answer at all, and raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh." She looked at his face carefully, not sure if this was a good thing or not. "Is that a problem?"

Neil seemed to think for a moment. "Is it?" He looked at her the same way, returning the question.

"She's your ex, not mine." Audrey shrugged.

"It's just… I haven't talked to her since we broke up."

"You think she doesn't know about us?"

"Well," Neil looked around them. "I'm pretty sure the entire hospital knows about us now. She might have heard it at some point, I guess." Audrey nodded, looking down at the coffee she was holding between both of her hands. They both stayed silent for a moment, before Lim looked up at him. He noticed the shift and recognized the silly glimpse growing in the corner of her eyes.

"Do you want me to switch two rows behind? We never know. Maybe she'll get too suspicious if we're sitting at the same table." She said in an exaggerated mocking tone.

"Ha ha, that's very funny." He kept a serious face, even though he was amused by her reaction. She always loved teasing him in all the possible ways, even back then during their residency.

"I know." She proudly smiled. Her eyes caught the sight of the blonde woman from above his left shoulder. Her amused face disappeared right away as she hid behind her cup of coffee.

"Don't look back, she's coming this way." She mumbled at Neil, before taking a sip of her drink. Neil didn't have the time to get what she said, that Jessica stopped right at their table. He suddenly felt the panic invading his body as he threw a look at Audrey.

"Neil, Audrey. It's been a while." The woman politely smiled at them.

"Jessica, what are you doing here?" He asked abruptly, but as soon as he realized what he said, he felt completely stupid.

"Well, I mostly work here so…" Jessica frowned a bit, looking both at him and Lim. She didn't know if he was just joking or being serious out of a sudden.

"Um, yes. Of course." He said, embarrassed. Audrey looked at him weirdly from the corner of her eyes. He seemed to be tensed in front of her. She didn't say anything but still, she couldn't help but wondering why he was acting so strangely. The conversation ran flat and they all found themselves looking at each other like idiots, desperately waiting for someone to make a move. Audrey suddenly felt _de trop_, and she knew that Neil and Jessica had some serious things to talk about. Although it was heartbreaking to admit it, they probably needed a moment just the two of them to – she hoped – perhaps definitively bring their history to a close.

"Well, I have some paperwork to do. You know... chief responsibilities and all these stuff." She fainted to be all cheery about that and stood up from her chair, gathering her phone and coffee. She looked at Jessica and offered her a smile – just enough to be polite – to which the blonde woman replied with a similar one. She then looked briefly at Neil.

"See you later." She told him with a faint smile and Neil slightly nodded to her, before she headed to her office. They didn't need to exchange more words to make him understand what she had just done. He knew why she had preferred to leave. She wasn't mad at him, she had simply felt it was the right time for her to withdraw and he appreciated the gesture.

"May I?" Jessica snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Sure." He nodded, showing her the now-free chair. She sighed as she sat, putting her purse on her laps and leaned against the back of the chair.

"How have you been?" She simply asked.

"Well, I'm fine." He shrugged. He didn't know what else to say and didn't want to tell her how'd been the last months of his life either. Jessica could still feel some bitterness through his attitude and it saddened her.

"I'm sorry I didn't call."

"You left, Jessica. Why would you have called for anyway?" He frowned. His words were harsh. They'd split a year ago now, and she had never given any sign of life since then. It'd been a hard blow for him when she had told him she wanted to break up, but he had accepted her decision even though it'd been one of the worst things he had ever done in his life.

"I know. But despite what happened between us, I still care about you. I-" She sighed, "never mind." She quickly smiled, but he could see the hurt on her face and he immediately felt guilty. _No wonder why it didn't work out in the first place,_ Jessica thought.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to sound rude." 

"It's okay, I deserved it." She shrugged, accepting the punishment without flinching.

"How about you?" Neil quickly changed the subject as he didn't want this conversation to turn out more awkward than it already was.

"Well," she inhaled deeply, "there's nothing interesting to say." She almost sounded disappointed.

"That's quite surprising coming from you." He chuckled slightly, but it didn't even make her smile.

"Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." He frowned slightly, and she took it as a sign to keep going. "I'm leaving the town at the end of the week."

"For a business trip, I suppose?" Neil wasn't quite sure to understand.

"No, I'm leaving for good." She sighed. "San Jose has nothing more to offer me. I've done my time in this hospital, Neil. I've nothing left to look forward to here." She sadly smiled at him. She could always feel some kind of homesickness of their past relationship. She had regretted breaking up with him, painfully. But Neil had been clear with her right away and had never intended to get back with her.

"Where are you going, then?"

"New-York. The Presbyterian hospital offered me the position of President of their risk management department. And I said yes."

"Woah, that's-" Neil was taken aback from the news. "That's great!"

"Yes, it is." She widely smiled, quite thrilled about the new upcoming adventure. They looked at each other quietly, before she spoke again to ask something she had been dying to know.

"So… you and Lim, uh?" She grinned.

Neil had dread this moment since he'd spotted her in the cafeteria. He knew she was the kind to put her feet in it, and she wasn't ashamed to talk about subjects that might make others uncomfortable.

"Well, yes. I-We've just... you know." He didn't know how to approach the subject. He was actually very reserved about his private life and feelings, but it was even worse when it came to talk about his current relationship with his ex-fiancée!

"You don't have to say anything, Neil. That's fine." She sincerely smiled at him. "Actually, I've always felt there was something between you two."

"Jessica, when I was with you I've always been honest and faithful. I-" When she realized the impact her words had on him, she quickly cut him off.

"Oh no, I know!" She reassured him. "That's not what I meant. But, you can't deny there's always been something special about her."

Neil couldn't help but smile. Jessica wasn't completely wrong. The first time he saw her during the second year of their residency, he knew right away that she was different from the others, that she had something extra. But he had always remained in the background, and he had never really bothered to get to know her. At the time, he was far too arrogant and competitive to see her as anything more than an opponent. Then life had decided otherwise as they had both taken different paths in their personal lives. He had met Jessica, and she had gotten married. It was only over the years that he had learned to really appreciate Audrey, and finally fall in love with her.

"I mean, she's one of a kind."

Neil chuckled, "That's for sure."

"Are you happy, Neil?" She finally asked. He took a few moments to think about it. These weren't the kind of questions that could be easily answered and he preferred to take his time, even if the answer was already clear for him.

"Yes, I am." A smile then slowly appeared on the corner of his lips. "She makes me the happiest man in the world." He shyly admitted.

"That's good." She smiled, then grabbed his hand with hers and squeezed it lightly. "I'm glad for you, both of you."

* * *

At the end of the day, Audrey was packing her stuff in her bag when Neil entered her office.

"Hey." He gave her a smile so ravaging that she couldn't do without smiling back at him.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't pretend that everything was fine. It's not like they had met Neil's ex-fiancé and that she had left them both alone. She trusted Neil, that wasn't the problem but she couldn't silence that tiny little voice in her head that was making her doubt about everything. Neil had noticed her slight unconvincing smile, but he had preferred ignoring it and walked towards her instead. She tensed when she felt his hands on her hips, but she quickly relaxed as she sighed and turned in his arms to face him. Neil was still looking at her with that naive look on his face and it was almost frustrating. Had he forgotten what'd happened earlier in the day?

Without a word, he brought his face closer to hers and put his right hand on the back of her neck, his fingers intertwined in her long dark hair. She didn't have the time to react that his lips crashed against hers in a passionate and loving smooch. He was carefully worshipping her mouth as she kissed him back instantly. Like almost every time they kissed, everything disappeared right away around them. They'd forgotten where they were, and didn't seem to mind if someone walk into the office and see them. Their relationship was no longer really a secret to anyone, but they were never showing any affectionate attentions in front of others though.

After a while, Neil slowly pulled back. Audrey opened her eyes to look straight into his.

"What was that for?" She frowned, smirking.

"Just letting you know how much I love you." He shrugged. Audrey swore she could have melted right here and even wondered if it was possible to fall even more in love with him. "You're the best thing that happened to me in a long time, you know that right?"

"Careful, people might think you're getting all sentimental." She teased him.

"Well, for you I am." He squeezed her in his arms and pulled her even closer against his tone chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and gently pecked him on the lips.

"I love you, too." She smiled at him.

"Let's go home." Neil pulled back and released his grip, grabbing her hand along the way. Suddenly, all Audrey's doubts had vanished as they both headed to the door, clinging to each other.


	5. Grab my ass one more time and see what happens

**"Grab my ass one more time and see what happens!"**

There were a lot of people in the bar. It was Friday night, and it seemed that everyone in town had decided going out to celebrate the end of the week. The crowd was so dense in some places that Audrey had to sneak between people, holding the full glasses over her head to avoid the drinks to be bumped by some kind of clumsy strangers. If there was one thing she hated in bars, it was getting beer spilled on her clothes because people couldn't watch out.

She and Neil had been able to find a high table somewhere in the corner of the bar – which was more like a miracle given the amount of clients – and had been talking about everything and nothing for a few hours now. It'd been his idea to chill out and have a drink after the quite exhausting week they both had. Audrey – who was always up for some fun – hadn't refused and they headed together at the closest bar right after their shift. They were having a great night from now on, and had managed to forget all the pressure of being the best surgeons of the country. It'd been a long time since it was just the two of them, laughing and talking without arguing, and it felt really good just being able to enjoy themselves on a quiet and fun evening.

After their fourth drink, Audrey asked Neil if he wanted a nightcap before going home. He declined her offer and settled for what was left of his beer. She then decided she would have one last drink on her own, and pecked him on the lips before heading to the bar to get another drink. There were a little fewer people than when they had arrived earlier, but there were still two women in front of her, waiting in line at the bar for their drinks. She stood still behind them, when suddenly she felt slightly pushed by a guy from behind. She instinctively turned around to look at the man and he immediately apologized, though she didn't really hear what he said due to the loud music. The guy looked a little younger than her, and his arrogance was showing on his face. She was sure he was the kind of man who was convinced that he could put all the girls in his bed with a simple grin. She found that kind of guy quite pathetic to be honest. Besides, he strongly smelled alcohol and cigarettes. As it was usual to be jostled by accident in crowded places, so she didn't say anything and turn around to wait her turn. As the first woman left the counter with her drink in hand, she took a step forward. After a few minutes, she was pushed again, but this time it was much more subtle and she felt some kind of intentional pressure on her thigh. She looked over her shoulder and glanced at the guy.

"Seriously?!" She snapped at him, frowning.

"Sorry, not my fault." The guy showed the group of people gathered behind him and used a violent push as an excuse. Audrey threw him a murderous look but still, didn't say anything else. She didn't want to start any fuss, but his behavior was seriously starting to annoy her.

"You're really beautiful." He raised his voice, bringing his mouth closer to her ear so she could hear him through the noise. She rolled her eyes and decided to ignore him as it was her turn to place her order. She walked up to the bar and asked the bartender for another glass of bourbon. She was getting impatient, wishing she could get rid of that dumb lump guy and go back to her table. She thought he had dropped it, until she stiffened when she felt him approaching again this time on her right side, much too close to her taste.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked. She sighed, and turned her head towards him.

"No, thank you." She faked a brief smile before looking straight ahead again.

"Why not?"

"I said no, that should be enough for you as an answer." She thought if she replied harshily to him he would have eventually leave it there, but the guy didn't seem to want to give up on his prey any time soon. Instead, he chuckled at her words.

"Come on, I'm sure we could get along _real _fine." He grinned, putting his left hand on the back of her butt. Her blood boiled immediately and she pushed his arm away violently.

"**_Grab my ass one more time and see what happens!_**" She snapped at him, pointing her finger at his chest as a warning.

"Oh, come on! Don't be such a prude." He grinned, eyeing her up from head to toes. "It doesn't suit you." He took a step forward, bringing his hand to her body again.

"Hey!" A manly voice shouted from nowhere as someone grabbed the man's wrist firmly and stopped him from touching her. "Haven't you heard what she just said?"

"Neil! Drop it, I can handle him." She couldn't believe that he had totally jumped to her rescue and put himself between her and the douchebag. She certainly didn't need anyone to save her.

"Yeah, _Neil_. Drop it!" The guy said, freeing himself from the strong grip of Melendez. "Be a good pup, let the lady and I have some fun."

"It's not gonna happen. Now you back off and leave her alone!" Neil spoke calmly, but his voice sounded harsh and rough. He wasn't absolutely in the mood for jokes, not when it came to Audrey.

"Or what, uh?" He started to get agitated. The people around them had moved aside and were looking at them from the corner of their eyes. No one wanted to be involved in a possible fight in a bar, but curiosity was far too strong not to listen halfway to what was happening.

"What are you gonna do?" The man approached Neil and pushed him back. Neil lowered his head to where he had put his hands on his chest, then looked up at him. He tightened his jaw, trying to keep his cool but Audrey knew by the look on his face that the story would quickly worsen if the man kept playing with him.

"Neil, let's go." She grabbed him by the arm and tried to pull him away, but the guy went on further. He turned towards her this time and started insulting her.

"You like that, uh? Strutting in front of us and treating us like shit, you fucking slut!" That was enough for Neil, as he lost his temper. The next second, his fist came crashing hard against the guy's face making him fall on the ground.

-

"That was stupid." Audrey told him.

After the little incident at the bar, the guy – who was too drunk and stunned by the hit to get back up – had been picked up by a few people and put in a corner, away from the crowd. Audrey and Neil had then decided to call it a night and go home, especially since his hand was in pitiful state. During the whole ride, neither of them had said a word. and as soon as they entered the house, Neil sat at a barstool in the kitchen while Audrey started to clean his wounded knuckles.

"He deserved it." He simply said, looking at his hand.

"Can you move your fingers?" She asked him. He waved his fingers and clenched his fist to see if there were any signs of intern injuries.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"You could have hurt yourself badly. Jesus, Neil! Do I have to remind you that these are your only way of making a living?" She started yelling at him for being so stupid to even risk injuring his hand.

"That was worth it! No one touches my girl, okay?"

"Oh my god," she rolled her eyes. "Men and their oversized ego." She mumbled under her breath.

"What did you want me to do?" He started yelling too. "Let him put his dirty hands on you like he owns you and treat you like a vulgar piece of meat?"

"I told you I was handling him!" She answered.

"Yeah, and what would you have done anyway?" He knew that if he hadn't interfered, Audrey would certainly have hit him herself. He found it rather cheeky of her to lecture him when she was about to jump down his throat when he stepped between them.

"Walk off and enjoy the rest of the evening with you, smartass." She snapped at him, making him shrug.

"Era un pendejo en cualquier caso..." Neil mumbled some words in Spanish. They fell silent again, as Audrey was bandaging his hand. He wouldn't need stitches, but she had preferred to put on a bandage to prevent the cuts from infections.

As she was putting the first aid kit aside on the counter, she couldn't help but think back of the situation.

"But, I have to admit that was pretty hot when you punched him in the face." Neil looked up, a bit surprised of what she said and saw the smile growing on her face.

"Is that your way of thanking me for saving your life?" He teased her, looking at her with a proud grin.

"Don't push it, Neil." Audrey rolled her eyes again at his silliness.

"Come here." He murmured, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her against him. She stood between his legs and wrapped one of her arms around his neck. She leaned down, bringing her face closer to his and grabbed his chin gently between her fingers. They looked at each other lovingly for a few moments. Even if she would never admit it, she appreciated the fact Neil stood up for her. Sure, she would have knocked the guy out without a doubt. If it had been another man, maybe she would have even dumped him right away. But with Neil, on second thought, she found it quite sexy.

His hands sliding down her back put her out of her thoughts. She felt him firmly putting them on her ass, and gently pushing her body even closer against him.

"I'm the only man allowed to do that to you." He told her in a hoarse voice, grinning stupidly.

"Mhmh. Hell yes, you are." She mumbled against his lips, before closing the gap and kissed him hard.


	6. It looks yummy

**"It looks yummy."**

Neil had come home much later than expected that evening. There had been a complication during the surgery of his patient and it took them a little over four extra hours to get it done. As after each shift, he felt tired but the adrenaline rush that always came with each successful surgery would keep him awake for a few more hours. There was a thing each surgeon would agree on and it was the indefinable sparkle you could feel about saving lives. He'd first tasted this euphoric feeling years ago and yet it was still there after all this time.

He had just parked his car in the driveway and took a look at the time displayed on the dashboard screen. It was terribly late, and he just realized he had missed their date tonight. He had completely forgotten to make sure someone told her he wouldn't be in time at the restaurant and he then suddenly felt guilty imagining her waiting for him, sitting alone at a table of two. There was no doubt he would make it up to her.

Once he reached the porch of his house, he turned his key in the lock and opened the door. He was surprised to find the lights on and to hear a soft music playing in the background. He frowned slightly as he dropped his briefcase at the bottom of the stairs and laid his jacket on the railing.

He entered the living room and was suddenly struck by a pleasant smell that was hovering in the room. He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he noticed Audrey standing at the stove, busy cooking something in the kitchen.

"Hey, look who's finally here!" She looked up at him, brightly smiling. He walked to the central island unit and rested his hand on the surface.

"I'm sorry, I had a complicated surgery." He sighed, shyly smiling at her. She smiled back at him, letting him know it was okay. He apologized to her even though he knew she certainly wouldn't be the kind to be mad at him for such a thing. She was in the best position to know how time-consuming and unpredictable their job could be.

"How did it go?"

"She'll be fine." He answered shortly, not really wanting to dwell on the work anymore. His thoughts were already elsewhere as he was looking at her with tender eyes. He didn't know she would be at his house tonight, but he was glad to find her standing there in his kitchen. Giving her a spare key a few weeks ago was the best idea he had in a long time.

"Good." She said, eyes focused on the frying pan as she was stirring the food with a wooden spoon.

"Since when the famous Dr. Lim likes cooking?" He teased her, walking up to her and wrapped his arms behind her. He nudged his nose in her hair and closed his eyes, softly breathing in her scent. God, he had missed her.

"Well, I needed to keep myself busy. Plus I was getting hungry, since you stood me up at the restaurant." She teased him, giving him a slight push backwards.

"Sorry again." He mumbled, resting his head on her shoulder. "How was your day?"

"It was long and awfully full of boring meetings. I miss being in the O.R." She sighed. Since being promoted to the position of Chief of surgery, she had hardly put a hand on a scalpel. She was far too busy dealing with the logistical aspects, meetings and paperwork.

"I know, it's not the most pleasant part of the job."

"I never thought I would miss being in the action so much."

"You know I'm proud of you, right?" She nodded slightly, and tilted her head so it could rest against his for a few moments. "Thank you." She whispered.

They remained silent for a few more minutes, without moving. She was trying to finish cooking her meal, trying not to burn it, while Neil was getting a little bored. He raised his head and pulled aside the few strands of hair that had come to stand in his way, then started to drop kisses along her neck. He softly smiled, having a few ideas of how the night could turn. Not long ago, he realized how much he loved to see her so comfortable in his own house. He'd never had the chance to see this domestic side of her before, knowing he was the only one able to witness this made him feel like the luckiest man in the world and he was falling madly in love with her a little more every day.

"Diner is almost ready." She softly sang joyfully, proud of herself for having cooked something edible for once.

"Mhmh." He hummed, kissing the spot under her ear. "**_It looks yummy._**"

"Thank you. And all of this without burning your whole house down!" She brightly smiled.

"I wasn't talking about the food…" He whispered with a hoarse voice, and slightly nibbled her earlobe.

"Oh, you think you're funny, don't you?" She chuckled, trying to ignore the hands that had sneaked on her ribs. She then saw his hand moving towards the hotplate. "Hey! What are you doing?" She gently scolded him, as he just pressed the power button.

"Nothing, making sure we don't actually burn the house down." He then put the spoon out of her hand and put it down. He put his hands on her hips and she let him turn her body in his arms without a word.

"Tonight, I'll just have the dessert." He grinned and looked at her with hungry eyes. As she could never resist this look, the next thing he knew, her hand was on his neck and she pulled him towards her. The kiss quickly turned wild as he had grabbed her ass and lifted her in his arms. In one swift movement, he turned around and put her down on the counter that was behind him. Her legs were tightly wrapped around his hips and she could already feel him aroused through the fabric of his trousers. Neil had managed to pull her shirt off her jeans and slid his hands under her top. The feeling of his cold hands on her skin made her shivering, and he took the opportunity of her moan to deepen the kiss and find her tongue in a hectic battle of control. Their breathing was shaky as she was clumsily working on the buttons of his shirt. He had to break off their kiss to pull her top over her head and threw it carelessly in the room.

Soon, they found themselves half-naked. He had started kissing and sucking on her skin down her neck and to her collarbone while she was gripping onto his shoulder. Her other hand was buried deep in his hair. He could feel himself losing control every second that passed, and the more he was worshipping her body the more things were heated up in the room. He knew that if he didn't slow down now, it would soon be impossible for them to stop.

"Are we really gonna do this on the kitchen floor?" He asked breathless, and she shrugged.

"I've known you more adventurous." She teased him.

"Well, I'm not sure my back will hold up." He usually had nothing against doing it in every place this house could offer, but tonight his body was quite killing him after his shift and the twelve hours of intense surgery.

Audrey brought her face closer to his.

"Take me to bed and make love to me, old man." She whispered playfully in his ear.

"That's me you're calling old?" He faked to be wounded in his ego, but couldn't hide his smirk long enough. She nodded, and he brought his face closer to hers. He kissed her slowly, taking his time to savor the taste of her swollen lips. She grabbed his face between her hands and deepened the kiss. He let her get lost in his tender torture a little while before grabbing her out of a sudden, making her squeak in surprise.

"I'll show you who's the old man." She laughed out loud, before leaning down to capture his lips one more time as he carried her upstairs, forgetting about the diner.


End file.
